Education reporter

The Oconee River will reach flood stage south of Athens today, but the flooding is expected to be minor, according to the National Weather Service.

The river’s height near Penfield, north of Greensboro, is expected to reach about 14.9 feet this afternoon before beginning to fall, said Ryan Willis, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Peachtree City station.

Flood stage is 13 feet there, but the flooding should not be serious, he said.

“This is a minor flood event,” he said.

The water will spread into nearby woods and fields, but should not affect Georgia Highway 15, which crosses the Oconee River between Oconee and Green counties.

“It should remain below the actual roadway,” he said.

The river should fall below flood stage early Wednesday morning, according to the forecast.

North of Athens, the Middle Oconee River briefly crested barely above flood stage near Arcade on Sunday, again with minor flooding, Willis said.

North Georgia got 2 to 4 inches of rain over the weekend, according to the weather service, including nearly 3 inches at Athens.